A survey of UK head teachers has found that nearly half are struggling to get mental health support for their pupils. A total of forty five percent of six hundred fifty five of school leaders quizzed by children’s mental health charity Place2Be said it was a problem. The survey – carried out to mark this week’s Children’s Mental Health Week – found 44% of head teachers said knowing what type of support was needed was a barrier to them providing mental health support for pupils.

A senior firefighter has warned that paraffin-based skin creams may be linked to hundreds of deaths. Chris Bell, a watch commander with West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, said the creams – used to treat a variety of skin conditions, including eczema and psoriasis – are safe to use. But he warned they can become flammable when they soak into fabrics, clothing, bandages and dressings, then come into contact with a cigarette, naked flame or other heat source.

There are figures that show fentanyl was responsible for one hundred thirteen deaths over the last 14 months – 8 deaths a month compared with an average of 2.7 a month in 2015. Meanwhile figures from NHS Digital show the number of fentanyl prescriptions have doubled to 1.2 million. Separate research shows the UK is now the largest host of dark web fentanyl sales in Europe, behind almost 10% of illicit world sales and an average of more than 300 a month.

News on Health Professional Radio. Today is the 13th of February 2018. Read by Tabetha Moreto.

A survey of UK head teachers has found that nearly half are struggling to get mental health support for their pupils. A total of forty five percent of six hundred fifty five of school leaders quizzed by children’s mental health charity PlacetwoBe said it was a problem.

The survey – carried out to mark this week’s Children’s Mental Health Week – found forty four percent of head teachers said knowing what type of support was needed was a barrier to them providing mental health support for pupils. And thirty seven percent said they did not feel confident in commissioning a counsellor or therapist. The charity also surveyed one thousand one hundred ninety eight counsellors and psychotherapists currently working in schools and found thirty four percent said providing services in schools was difficult.In December, the Department of Health and Department for Education published a joint plan to improve children and young people’s access to mental health support at schools and colleges in England. The pledge came as NHS figures showed around one in ten girls aged sixteen or seventeen was referred to specialist mental health services in England in two thousand sixteen.

PlacetwoBe chief executive Catherine Roche said school leaders were under enough pressure and should not be expected to become mental health experts as well.

Earlier this week, the Local Government Association said every secondary school in England should be given funding to offer independent mental health counselling to all pupils. A spokeswoman for the Department for Education said the government had pledged one point seven billion pounds to help “promote, protect and improve” children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing.

A senior firefighter has warned that paraffin-based skin creams may be linked to hundreds of deaths. Chris Bell, a watch commander with West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, said the creams – used to treat a variety of skin conditions, including eczema and psoriasis – are safe to use. But he warned they can become flammable when they soak into fabrics, clothing, bandages and dressings, then come into contact with a cigarette, naked flame or other heat source.

His comments come after an investigation by BBC five live Investigates and Inside Out Yorkshire and Lincolnshire found only seven of thirty eight products containing paraffin that are licensed in the UK carry warnings on their packaging. Hundreds of thousands of people use them, we’re not sure how many fire deaths might have occurred but it could be into the hundreds.

There are figures that show fentanyl was responsible for one hundred thirteen deaths over the last fourteen months – eight deaths a month compared with an average of two point seven a month in two thousand fifteen. Meanwhile figures from NHS Digital show the number of fentanyl prescriptions have doubled to one point two million. Separate research shows the UK is now the largest host of dark web fentanyl sales in Europe, behind almost ten percent of illicit world sales and an average of more than three hundred a month. The revelations follow repeated warnings from the National Crime Agency to be vigilant about fentanyl after the drug was associated with thousands of overdose fatalities and addiction in the US, including the deaths of singers Prince last April and Tom Petty in January. ….Police say it is difficult to stem the tide as fentanyl is relatively simple to make in a home laboratory and also available through the dark web, originating mainly in China and Hong Kong. ….Some two thousand five hundred ninety three people died in England and Wales in two thousand sixteen, nearly sixty per cent higher than ten years ago – meaning one in every two hundred deaths is from drug misuse.